Hornchurch constituency is largely residential in character with industry confined mainly to the Rainham district. The seat is situated just to the east of Dagenham, and many workers at its Ford motor plant live here. 22% of the economically active population are skilled manual workers, but much traditional Tory support comes from the skilled non-manual workforce.

An owner-occupancy rate of 82.1% also distinguishes the seat from those Essex marginals like Basildon and Harlow that took until 1983 to turn from Labour to Conservative seats. Hornchurch was dominated by the Conservatives between Labourís victories in 1966 and 1997.

John Cryer won the seat for Labour in 1997, making him the first person to follow both his parents - the late Bob Cryer and Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley - into the Commons.